[dougireton]

Please please don't go to the Cheesecake Factory. Try someplace like Duke's on Lake Union, Lowell's in Pike Place Market, Oaxaca (very authentic Mexican in Ballard). You really should go to Three Girls in Pike Place for lunch. Also, the Pink Door in Pike Place is good Italian.

For coffee, please don't go to Starbucks. It's like going to McDonalds, but with better coffee. I recommend Victrola on 15th Ave E on Capitol Hill or Vivace (http://www.espressovivace.com/retail.html).

For local shows, you should check out the KEXP.org events calendar (http://kexp.org/events/). KEXP is a nationally known and amazing listener-supported indie radio station in Seattle.

[tomfakes]

Unrelated to the discussion, but KEXP is hiring a software engineer if anyone's interested

http://seattle.craigslist.org/see/sof/2609125268.html

[big_data]

Right on! I can definitely get into a better coffee and pastry experience. We will mostly be around Pike Place, so these are great suggestions, thank you.

I am digging KEXP! There are options almost every night. Very cool!